Adjustable scraper blade for road motor graders



V. SCHIAVI June 25, 1968 ADJUSTABLE SCRAPER BLADE FOR ROAD MOTOR GRADERSFiled June 25 1965 R .Z W W M M l Z Q a 6 Em Wm M i INNQIIHFTHIIH 0 \\\UA a United States Patent Office 3,389,482 Patented June 25, 19683,389,482 ADIUSTAELE SCRAPER BLADE FOR ROAD MOTOR GRADERS VincentSchiavi, R0. Box 1087, Wilmington, Del. 19899 Filed June 25, 1965, Ser.No. 466,973 2 Claims. (Cl. 172-664) ABTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Theinvention comprises motive means for the adjust able scraper blade ofroad motor graders whereby the pivoted scraping edges of the scraperblade may be more expeditiously actuated, particularly when the scraperblade is being operatively moved by the motor grader over a road surfacebeing treated.

The instant invention relates to adjustable scraper blades used inroad-grading of the type shown in my prior Patent No. 3,182,410 issuedMay 11, 1965.

In the aforementioned patent there is fully set out the function of anadjustable grading blade or scraper for motor graders. While the scraperdescribed and claimed therein has been found highly eflicient and hasmet an outstanding need in use and has been widely accepted byroad-builders, the necessity has become apparent for a scraper blade inwhich the adjustment of the pivoted scraping edges can be (a) moreexpeditiously accomplished; (b) effected while the grading blade orscraper is being operatively moved by the motor grader over a roadsurface being treated. This necessity contemplates a scraper producing afiner adjustment and gradation during the operation under (b) above,while actuation of both pivoted scraping edges takes placesimultaneously and uniformly to and from flat to crown grading withvarious gradations of the latter.

Accordingly, it is an object of the instant invention to provide anadjustable grading blade or scraper for motor graders, whether asoriginal equipment therefor or mounted on the grader moldboard in whathas become known as in piggy-back fashion, to accomplish expeditiouslyand efiiciently the aims and purposes set out in the precedingparagraph.

The above and other objects will be apparent from the detaileddescription hereinafter appearing when taken in conjunction with theappended drawing forming a part hereof and showing an embodiment of theinvention to which attention is now directed and in which:

FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of a scraper or grader blade in whichthe two-part adjustable lower cutting or scraper portion of the blade isshown in two positions, one position represented by the dotted line.

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary front elevational view on a larger scale of thecentral portion of the blade showing the fluid motor and its connectionto the two pivoted lower scraping edge portions.

FIG. 3 is a view partly in section and partly in elevation taken on line33 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary plan view showing the fluid motor operativelysecured to the stationary portion of the scraper blade; and

FIG. 5 is a sectional view thru a pivot pin taken on line 5-5 of FIG. 1.

Turning to the instant drawing and as in my Patent No. 3,182,410, theblade or scraper is designated as 5 and each blade comprises acontinuous, stationary, rigid, upper portion or section extending fromend to end and a two-part adjustable lower portion comprising identicalsections 11 and 11a, each pivoted at an outer end thereof to uppersection 10 in a manner to be described hereinafter. This construction isa material departure from the centrally pivoted arrangement of theaforementioned patent, and for a purpose which will appear shortly.Upper section 10 includes a continuously longitudinally extending metalmember 12 having a front concave face 13 and a rear convex face 14; alower generally concavoconvex member 15 broadly similar to member 12,has its upper half welded to rear convex face 14 of the latter inabutting overlapping relationship, see FIG. 3.

The lower or adjustable part of scraper 5, as mentioned, comprises twosimilar halves 11 and 11a, each pivoted to upper stationary section atthe respective outer edges thereof and a description of one of saidhalves will sufiice for both. Each half comprises alongitudinally-extending metal plate 32, the upper half 33 of whichextends vertically into abutting sliding relationship with the innerportion 18 of plate 15. A longitudinal concave-convex metal plate 36 hasits upper half in abutting relationship with the rear lower half ofplate 32 and is rigidly secured to the latter by a line of welding 37.The upper horizontal part of a concavo-convex metal blade cutting edge38 is secured to the concave face of plate 36 by a plurality of spacedbolt and nut connections 39 whereby said cutting or scraping edge 38 maybe removed and replaced, when desired. The numeral 23 designates one ofa number of intermediate reinforcing metal angle bars and it will beseen that all of this structure is more fully described in Patent No.3,182,410.

Each lower half portion 11-11a is pivoted adjacent an outer edge Sit-50aof stationary blade 10 and more specifically to concavo-convex member 15thereof, see FIG. 5. It will be seen that upper half 33 of plate 32 hasan opening 52 extending horizontally therethrough adjacent its outeredge normal to scraping edge 38; while plate 15 has a similar opening54. Opening 52 has a short bearing sleeve 55 welded therein; and asimilar sleeve 56 is welded within opening 54. The sleeves 5556 arealigned and carry a headed bolt 57 threaded at 58 to receive a nut 59,this construction constituting a hinge or pivot about which a lowerscraper half 11-1111 may move.

Turning now to FIG. 2, the inner edge of a movable lower half portion11-11a is designated as and is generally normal to scraping edge 38,said inner edges being spaced as indicated at 71. A vertically extendingoperating bar 72 has oppositely projecting ears 7344, each ear havingcentral slot 75 or 76. Pins 77 and 78 are integral with lower halfportions lit-11a, respectively, each pin projecting forwardly through aslot 75 or 76. Operating bar 72 extends upwardly through a guide opening79 in metal member 12 so that a section of this bar is forwardly and asection rearwardly of said member, said bar having a slot 80 just belowits upper end. A pair of spaced vertical ears 81 are welded to theconvex surface 14 of longitudinal member 12, said ears carrying ahorizontal pivot pin 82. The numeral 83 designates a pair of spaced,generally L-shaped rockers, the horizontal legs 84 of which extendbetween cars 81 and are pivoted at one end on pin 82. The opposite endsconstituting the corners of the L-shaped rocker, straddle the upperportion of bar 72 and are pivotally connected thereto by a pin 86passing through slot 80 of said bar. Finally, the vertical legs 87 ofthe L-shaped rocking members have a horizontal pin 38 adjacent theterminal portions thereof.

The numeral 90 designates a pair of spaced vertical ears, similar tocars 81 and also welded to face 14 of member 12. An hydraulic cylinder91 has a piston 92 movable therein actuating a piston rod 93 which ispivotally connected by pin 88 to vertical legs 87. The opposite end ofcylinder 91 has a bracket 94 rigid therewith hinged to cars 90 by meansof pivot pin 95. A pump 96 having a handle 97 for manual actuation isalso welded to surface 14 adjacent an outer end thereof and is connectedto cylinder 91 by hollow flexible hoses 98 constituting flow lines foran hydraulic fluid. The hydraulic system comprising cylinder 91, piston92, pump 96 and hoses 98 is equipped with the usual valves and controls(not shown) whereby the flow of the actuating fluid may be controlled toand from cylinder 91. This system is an item readily purchasable in theopen market and, of itself, constitutes no material part of theinvention; it is only illustrative of one motive means applicableherein.

The scraping edges 38 of scraper 5 for fiat grading will be in theposition shown by dotted line 100 in FIG. 1. Movement of piston 92 tothe right in FIG. 2 by the pressure of fluid thereagainst will moveoperating bar 72 upwardly and pivot both lower half portions 11-1111about respective pivot pins 57 to the full line position of scraperedges in FIG. 1 or to any intermediate position between the dotted andfull line positions. As shown, it is con templated that a helper to themotor grader operator walk behind the scraper 5 and operate the handle97 of pump 96 to change the contour of the scraping edges as required,from fiat to crown or vice versa; this during the movement of thescraper by the motor grader over the road surface being graded.

As indicated, other motive means such as gears and ratchet may besubstituted for the hydraulic system shown. It is also visualized that amore sophisticated arrangement, whereby all will be under control of themotor grader operator, may be employed; such as arrangement to includegauges, etc. to visually indicate the degree of movement of the scraperedges, pressure being exerted thereon and so forth.

Accordingly, it is submitted that the aims and objects have becnattained; also that various changes may be made as will occur to thoseskilled in the art. It is contemplated to cover all such and to belimited in this respect only as may be necessary by the scope of theclaims hereto appended.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A scraper blade for a road-grading machine, said blade in operativeposition being vertical and movable over a road surface to be graded andcomprising a transversely-extending stationary upper section havingouter edges, a pair of transversely-extending similar lower bladesections together coextensive in length with said upper section, eachlower section having a bottom scraping edge, and an outer edge generallynormal to said scraping edge, pivot means connecting the outer edge of alower blade section to an outer edge of the transversely-extendingstationary section, said lower blade sections each having an inner edge,said inner edges being spaced and located substantially centrally of thescraper, motive means including an actuating member pivotally secured tosaid blade sections adjacent the inner edges thereof, said actuatingmember comprising a vertically movable bar having oppositely-extendingtransverse ears, said ears each having a slot, said lower blade sectionseach having a pin adjacent an inner edge and passing thru a slot in oneof said ears.

2. The structure of claim 1, said motive means comprising an hydrauliccylinder having a reciprocatable piston, a piston rod movable by saidpiston, said rod pivotally connected to said vertically movable bar.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,390,479 9/1921 Baker 37-108 XR2,012,784 8/1935 Barber 37-108 XR 2,310,396 2/1943 Clinkscales 371433,182,410 5/1965 Schiavi 37-479 ANTONIO F. GUIDA, Primary Examiner.

R. L. HOLLISTER, ALAN E. KOPECKI,

Assistant Examiners.

